Libral’s Cesar Burciaga looks for room up the middle against the Hays defense Friday night at Redskin Field. But drives were cut short with penalties, and the Redskins lost 20-0. L&T photo/Earl Watt

By EARL WATT

• Leader & Times

The Liberal Redskins had just as much trouble getting out of their own way Friday night as they did facing the Hays Indians in a 20-0 loss Friday night during a homecoming tile at Redskin Field.

Liberal committed 10 penalties for a total of 85 yards, but the timing of the infractions were deadly, causing a punt return for a touchdown to be called back and drives for Hays to continue.

At one point, Tyrique Chandler caught a pass over the middle and appeared to be able to break to the sideline for a possible touchdown but ran into one of his own downfield blockers and fell to the turf.

The Redskins rushed for less yardage than they received in penalties, carrying the ball 29 times for 78 yards.

The Redskins also turned the ball over three times, once on a fumble that killed a drive and two interceptions in the fourth quarter when the Redskins were trying to rally.

The tone was set early when the Redskins were held to four yards on their first possession and had to punt, and the Indians only needed six plays to score.

Hays overcome an unsportsmanlike penalty that set them back to a second-and-25, and after getting 15 of those back on the next play with a quarterback scramble and then a nine-yard rush up the middle, Hays ran a reverse on fourth-and-1 for a 26-yard touchdown and the early 7-0 lead.

The Redskins put together a 10-play drive to move the ball to midfield, but the Redskins fumbled to kill the drive.

But the Redskin defense stepped up, and after forcing the Indians to pass the ball, Chandler leaped up over a Hays receiver and got his feet in bounds for an interception at the 12 yard line.

But the Redskins had a false start on a third-and-3 that killed the drive, and Liberal punted.

But the Redskin defense gave the ball right back to the offense when Jett Brown recovered a fumble at the Hays 40 yard line.

But the next drive started with a false start, and the Redskins again went three-and-out.

Liberal had a chance to force a punt by the Indians before half, but an offsides on the defense gave Hays a first down, and they ran out the clock to half.

Liberal’s defense continued to keep the Redskins down by only one score to start the second half, and after forcing Hays to punt, Elijah McCarter broke free and reached the end zone, but a hold by the Redskins negated the score.

Liberal continued to commit penalties, and late in the third quarter the Indians were able to add another touchdown to take a 13-0 lead.

After an intercept on Liberal’s next drive at the Hays 5 yard line, the Indians were able to break for a large run and add on 15 yards on a personal foul by Liberal that contributed to a scoring rive early in the fourth quarter that gave the Indians a 20-0 lead.

Liberal again drove into Hays territory late, but another interception at the Indian 13 yard line ended Liberal’s last gasp attempt to reach the end zone.

“Hays is well coached,” Liberal coach Jason Dunlap said. “They are bigger and stronger than us. We penaltied ourselves to death. Any drive we got going, we had a penalty. The kids reacted to poor play, and it cost us. We will have to make decisions on whether or not those players play next week.”

While the game is played with emotion, Dunlap said you keep that emotion contained to your own.

“You be emotional with each other,” he said. “You don’t react to what is going on.”

He added that what happens through the week affects what happens on Friday.

“We can’t have bad practices,” Dunlap said. “Our kids now know that. We had four weeks of great practices. It should in the win column. We had a bad practice Monday, it showed in the win column.”

And the Liberal team that takes the field next week at Wichita Southeast may look a lot different than the one that played against Hays.

“We have to compete against each other better,” Dunlap said. “I looked at freshmen, sophomores, seniors. I asked if they want someone’s job, go take it at practice. No one has a starting job. You ask me who is starting next week? I don’t know. May find Syris Dunlap at tailback. May have (freshman) Malcolm Wiltshire at quarterback. If you get penalties, we will find somebody else.”

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The High Plains Daily Leader and Southwest Daily Times are published Sunday through Friday and reaches homes throughout the Liberal, Kansas retail trade zone. The Leader & Times is the official newspaper of Seward County, USD No. 480, USD No. 483 and the cities of Liberal and Kismet. The Leader & Times is a member of the Liberal Chamber of Commerce, the Kansas Press Association and the Associated Press.

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